This invention relates to curtain rods and more particularly to a merchandising system including novel packaging by which the curtain rods are displayed for sale. The system involves two-piece curtain rods of the type having first and second members which telescope with respect to each other so as to provide a range of lengths for each rod. Each rod member is also generally provided with an angled bend at opposite ends of the respective members which ends form opposed legs which generally extend from the curtain rod body at right angles thereof. These legs are then provided with openings or other means by which the rod can be suspended from a pair of longitudinally separated brackets. Generally, each of the component members of the rod are each from an elongated piece of metal stock extruded or bent into a generally C-shape cross-sectional configuration and individually sized such that one of the members may be telescoped with respect to the other member. The surface of the metal components are provided with a protective paint surface and although generally constructed of metal as above indicated, could be formed from other materials such as plastic.
The brackets that are normally associated with the suspension of such curtain rods are also generally formed from bent metal sheets and include a base plate adapted to abut the wall or other mounting surface and a forwardly extending tongue terminating in a forward end configured so as to present appropriately shaped tabs and cutouts for receipt of the terminal portions of the rearwardly extending legs of the curtain rods which in turn are provided with attachment means for the brackets (normally a pair of vertically spaced holes). When using such brackets and curtain rods to accomplish the separate hanging of both curtains and a forwardly projecting valance, it is necessary to provide two separate curtain rods--one with legs provided with a greater rearward extent, e.g., valance rods having three-inch rearwardly extending legs and conventional rods having two-inch rearwardly extending legs. The curtains or sheers are placed on one pair of brackets mounted inwardly of an outer pair of brackets to accomplish the intended aesthetic effect. This requires that two separate curtain rods in various lengths, styles and colors must be desirably provided at the point-of-purchase sales display so that the consumer once deciding upon a style can make an immediate purchase rather than ordering the goods which sometimes results in lost sales. This stockage requirement, however, obviously takes up valuable space at point-of-purchase displays which is undesirable from the merchandiser's standpoint. It, accordingly, would be extremely desirable to be able to have a curtain rod system which eliminates the need for curtain rods having two different leg dimensions.
In connection with conserving space at point-of-purchase displays in retail stores, it has also been known to provide open bins in which the curtain rods are placed horizontally in contrast to being packaged in plastic bags in turn provided with cardboard headers and vertically suspended from peg board displays in seriatim positioning one behind the other. Such packaging of curtain rods, either singly or doubly in cases where a valance treatment is desired, within such plastic bags is, however, not without its drawbacks in that large groups of such plastic bags tend to slip about, are more difficult to grasp and easily spill on the floor. It, accordingly, would be desirable to be able to package curtain rods in such a way that they are more easily grasped when placed into such bins and still protected by a plastic covering or envelope and also easily capable of being labeled such that the consumer can easily look in the bin and determine the style, dimensions and coloring thereof.
A still further consideration of these sales and display programs whether involving bins or not is the packaging space required to ship the completed curtain rod or curtain rods in their conventional loose plastic bags. These bags are in turn provided with top positioned headers for a suspended point of display when desired as opposed to a bin display. The bag headers thus require that a somewhat larger container be utilized when shipping from the manufacturer to the merchandise store which when considering the high number of such units shipped can, over time, amount to a considerable expense and waste of cardboard. It would, accordingly, be desirable to be able to reduce the size of the shipment box necessary but still be able to provide a point-of-sale label or tag suitable for both utility in a bin sales program as well as in a rod display program which involves the suspending of curtain rods upon peg board hooks or rods as previously discussed.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by the cooperative effects of providing a curtain rod construction fully or at least essentially fully enveloped in a tight plastic package as contrasted from storage in a loose fitting plastic envelope or bag which when coupled with a novel bracket construction including dual forwardly extending suspension tongues of differing dimension such that a single curtain rod having the standard two-inch leg projection can not only be utilized for both valance and curtain treatments simultaneously in the same installation but furthermore materially reduces the inventory and space needed for satisfactory display of the curtain rod products. Similarly, a curtain rod so packaged as above explained can be provided with a frictionally movable information and legend tag that can be positioned intermediate the rod ends for bin display and proximate to one leg of the rod when serial front to rear suspension on peg board hooks is desired.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.